Summer is Rockport’s chance to show off a little.
The town of roughly 7,000 people is a quaint spot all year. The Shalin Liu Performance Center is always a breathtaking venue for live music, the ocean views are always stunning, and the donuts at downtown café Brothers Brew are always some of the best on the North Shore.
Come summer, however, the little town at the northernmost tip of Cape Ann blossoms into a destination unrivaled for natural beauty, artistic inspiration, and classic New England charm. The seasonal shops, restaurants, and galleries downtown throw open their doors, a colorful riot of dahlias blooms at the Roving Radish flower farm, and the sun shines on the lobster boats anchored in front of the iconic red fishing shack Motif #1.
“There’s spectacular natural beauty, the small-town vibe, world-class art,” says Kristin Czarnecki, interim
